Automobile starting switch



Oct. 19 1926.

J. HAJEK AUTOMOBILE STARTING SWITCH Filed Dec. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 19 1926. 1,603,766

J. HAJEK AUTOMOBILE STARTING SWITCH Filed Dec. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 V I5 W WW Patented Oct. 19, 1 926.

' like or corresponding UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH HAJ'EK, OF GRQVETON, PENNSYLVANI-A.

AUTOMOBILE STARTING SWITCH.

Application filed December 5,1924. Serial No. 754,070. 7 l i .placement of parts often damaged by misuse of the starter under the aforesaid conditions.

A further object of the invention is' the provision of a starting switohof the above described character which shall be simple in construction, adaptable for installation on modern automobiles, and which shall be eflicient and positive in operation. With these and other objects in View my invention' consistsiin the novel combination, construction, and relative position of the parts and members, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, described in the following specifications and particularly pointed out intheappended claims.

Referring to the drawings/which illustrate oneembodiment ofiny invention and in which like reference characters denote artsz'. Y Figure 1 is a side e evation of an automobile startin switch embodying my invention, the switc plunger cap being in section, F1gure'2 is an'end elevation of same taken on line 22 of'Figure 1, j

Figure 3 is a plan view of the switch'cor res onding to Figure 1, v

igure 4 is a cross section takenvon line 4 4 of Figure 3, but with the switch housingkian end elevation. j ferring to the illustrations 10 indicates a switch housin which is rovided with integral ears 11 t rough which the screws 12 extend for securing of the'housing to the floor board 13. Within the housing 10 is mounted a switch of any suitable plunger type which completes the circuit, between the terminals 14 and 15. I have preferred a pair of leaf to show aswitch employin springs 16 which are insu ated from the housing 10. The plunger rod 17 carries a collar 18 which is normally held in raised p unger rod 17.

position by the coil spring-19 confined between it and the internal sleeve 20 which is cast with the housing bottom. Itis readily apparent that when the plunger cap 21 is foot pressed the collar 18 will engage the springs 16 to complete the electric circuit tooperafe the starting motor.

The inverted cup cap 21 is concentrically mounted to the plunger head 17 by a'screw A- floor felt washer 23 surrounds the cap 21 to prevent dust passing through the opening 24 in the floor board. 'A trimming plate 25 retains the felt washer 23 in place.

' Secured by screws 26 to'theside of the switch housing 10, is an oil chamber casing 27 having a pair of vertically aligned integral ears 28 within which I loosely mount the rod 29. The arm 30 is securely mounted to the upper end of the rod 29 and is. formed with an integral upstanding'end 30 'having a beveled face 30 which theplunger head- 17 engages in its downward movement.

and whereby the arm 30 is'oscillated outwardly against the pressure of the coil spring 31 wound around its lower end.

Secured toflthe lower end of the rod 29 is an arm 32 which is provided with a yoke 32 at its outerend. The yoke ends have lateral slots 32 in vertical alignment for engagement of the pin 33 carried within the on of the rod 34 which extends to the ignition timing distributing cap for imparting motion thereto to retard the time of the ignition spark. It is obvious that the relative length of the bevel 30 the length of the arm 32, and the distance of the collar 18 above the point of contact with the springs 16 must be such that the ignition spark mechanism will be moved to retard the spark before the circuit between the springs 16' iscom leted.

To faci itate the oscillating action of the arm' 30 and absorb the downward thrust on the end 30* b provide the un erside of the end 30-- wi all bearing 35. It is obvious, that the coil spring 31 will automatically return the arm 30 into normal position and thus advance the time of the ignition spark immediately u on f the release of the pressure upon the I- will now 'roceed to describe my imroverhent for lbcking, the switch to prevent its operation during the time the engine is in operation.

The oil chamber casing 27 is provided with the plunger head 17 I th a , pivotally an interior annular oil chamber 27 which is closed or sealed on the inner side of the casing 27 by. a thin flexible steel or brass diaphragm 36. The chamber? is connected by means of the pipe 37 with the engine oil line which is maintained under pressure during the operation of the engine.

An outwardly projecting pin 37 is secured to they center of the-flexible diaphragm 36 and extends through the opening 38 within the center of'the comparatively heavy dia-- The latch lever 40 is mounted in align, ment with the pin 37- with which it is constantly in contact due to the pressure exerted on it by the casing 10 and pressed outwardly by the coil I spring 44.

The upperend or the lever 40 is provided with a short lateral integral extension 40 having the end thereof 40 bent upwardly and adapted for movement under the head 17 and as an obstruction for preventing the downward movement of the head 17 -and the lunger 17.

T e position of the latch 40 shown by the full lines in Fig. 4, is that assumed under operating conditions of the engine'and with the oil pressure in the oil line extended to the chamber 27 against the diaphragm' 36, whereby the lever 40 is moved outwardly against the pressure of the pin 43 with the end 40 'in obstructing position under the plunger head 17. It is now readily apparent that when the engine stops running the oil pressure within the line 37 and chamber 27 will decline permitting the inward movement of the lever 40 into the position shown by the dotted lines by the pressure of the pin 43. Under this condition only will it e possible to operate the switch.

I claim: 1. In an automobile engine starting switch, the combination of a switch mechanism, a pivoted latch, and means responsive to oil pressure for operating said latch to lock said switch mechanism while the engine is runnin and to automatically release'said latch when the engine is stopped.

- 2. In an automobile engine starting switch,

limit the outward I in 43 which is mountedv -in a lateral slot wit in the top of the switch 25 the combination of a switch mechanism, a pivoted latch, an' oil chamber .having a flexible diaphragm in operative contact with said latch and adapted to move said latch to lock said switch mechanism in response to oil pressure against said diaphragm, and

means for releasing said latch from locking position "upon the decline of oil pressure from said diaphragm.

3. In an automobile engine starting switch,

and in combination, a switch mechanism having a spring-pressed plunger adapted upon downward pressure to complete an electric circuit, a housing for said switch mechanism, a casing having an oil chamber therein mounted adjacent said mechanism housing, a flexible diaphragmfor said oil chamber, pivoted means responsive-to the oil. pressure :againstsaid diaphragm for locking said plunger against downward movement, and resilient means adapted to-move said pivoted means out of locking position to release said plunger upon the decline of the oil pressure within'said oil chamber. 7

4. In an automobile engine starting switch, and in combination, a switch mechanism, means'adapted for connection to the ignitiontimin'g mechanism for automatically retarding same ,upon movement of said switch mechamsm into operative POSltlOII and said means arranged for automatically advancing the said timing mechanism upon the movement of said, switch mechanism into inoperative position, a pivoted latch, and means responsive to 'oil pressure for operating said latch to lock said switch mechanism while the engine is running and to automatically release said latch when the engine is stopped.

5." In'an automobile engine starting switch, and in combination, a switch mechanism, means-adapted for connection to the ignition timing mechanism for automatically retardlng same upon movement of said switch mechanism into operative position and said means arranged for automatically advancing the said timing mechanism upon the movement of said switch mechanism into- 

